June Democratic Struggle
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The June Democratic Struggle (), also known as the June Democracy Movement and June Democratic Uprising, was a nationwide pro-democracy movement in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
that generated mass protests from June 10 to June 29, 1987. The demonstrations forced the ruling government to hold elections and institute other democratic reforms, which led to the establishment of the Sixth Republic, the present-day government of South Korea. On June 10, the military regime of President
Chun Doo-hwan Chun Doo-hwan (; or ; 18 January 1931 – 23 November 2021) was a South Korean army general and military dictator who ruled as an unelected strongman from 1979 to 1980 before replacing Choi Kyu-hah as president of South Korea from 1980 to 198 ...
announced its choice of
Roh Tae-woo Roh Tae-woo (; ; 4 December 1932 – 26 October 2021) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the sixth president of South Korea from 1988 to 1993. Roh was a close ally and friend of Chun Doo-hwan, the predecessor leader ...
as the next president. The public designation of Chun's successor was seen as a final affront to a delayed and deferred process to revise the South Korean constitution to permit direct election of the
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
. Although pressure on the regime, in the form of demonstrations by students and other groups, had been building for some time, the announcement finally triggered massive and effective protests.Adesnik, A. David, Sunhyuk Kim.
If At First You Don’t Succeed: The Puzzle of South Korea’s Democratic Transition
". CDDRL Working Papers. Number 83, July 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
Unwilling to resort to violence before the 1988 Olympic Games at
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...
(which garnered large worldwide attention), and (correctly) believing that Roh could win competitive elections anyway given divisions within the opposition, Chun and Roh acceded to the key demands of direct presidential elections and restoration of civil liberties. Although Roh was duly
elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...
as president that December with a bare plurality, the democratic consolidation of South Korea was fully underway.


Background


Indirect presidential elections

Since the 1972 implementation of the
Yushin Constitution The fourth Republic of Korea () was the government of South Korea from November 1972 to March 1981. The Fourth republic was founded on the approval of the Yushin Constitution in the 1972 constitutional referendum, codifying the ''de facto'' d ...
by then-president Park Chung-hee, South Korean presidents were elected indirectly by an electoral college. This system persisted even after Park was assassinated and replaced by
Choi Kyu-hah Choi Kyu-hah (; ; July 16, 1919 – October 22, 2006), also spelled Choi Kyu-ha or Choi Gyu-ha, was a South Korean politician who served as the fourth president of South Korea from 1979 to 1980. Early life Choi was born in Wonju-myeon, Wonj ...
, who was himself replaced by Chun after the
Coup d'état of December Twelfth The Coup d'état of December Twelfth (Hangul: 12.12 군사반란; Hanja: 12.12 軍事叛亂) or the "12.12 Military Insurrection" was a military coup d'état which took place on December 12, 1979, in South Korea. Republic of Korea Army Major Gen ...
. Since the college was generally hand picked by the regime itself, it did not represent any sort of democratic check on presidential power. Seeking to enhance his domestic and international standing by providing a veneer of democratic representation, Chun held elections in 1985. The result was a major moral victory for the opposition, led by
Kim Dae-jung Kim Dae-jung (; ; 6 January 192418 August 2009), was a South Korean politician and activist who served as the eighth president of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. He was a 2000 Nobel Peace Prize recipient for his work for democracy and human ...
and
Kim Young-sam Kim Young-sam (; or ; 20 December 1927 – 22 November 2015) was a South Korean politician and activist who served as the seventh president of South Korea from 1993 to 1998. From 1961, he spent almost 30 years as one of the leaders of t ...
. The opposition's key demand was direct presidential elections, and Chun sought to foil this by initiating a campaign of delay, deliberation, and deferment. A parliamentary committee debated various proposals for months; on April 13, 1987, Chun suspended even this committee until after the Olympics. This action intensified unrest, but resulting demonstrations did not impress the regime and Chun decided to continue his program to install Roh as his successor. Throughout this period, the labor movement, university students, and churches in particular joined in a mutually supporting alliance to put increasing pressure on the regime. This mobilized a portion of civil society, in addition to the political opposition, formed the core of the resistance that would become generalized during the decisive events of June.


Torture and death of Park Jong-cheol

In the 1980s, many student activists in universities struggled against Chun Doo-hwan's dictatorship in the aftermath of the 1980
Gwangju Massacre The Gwangju Uprising was a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, from May 18 to May 27, 1980, which pitted local, armed citizens against soldiers and police of the South Korean government. The event is sometimes called 5·18 (M ...
. Park Jong-chol, the president of the student council in the linguistics department of Seoul National University, was one of those students. Detained during an investigation into such activities, Park refused to confess the whereabouts of one of his fellow activists. During the interrogation, authorities used
waterboarding Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over a cloth covering the face and breathing passages of an immobilized captive, causing the person to experience the sensation of drowning. In the most common method of waterboard ...
techniques to torture him, eventually leading to his death on 14 January 1987. Information surrounding the events of Park Jong-chol's death was initially suppressed. However, the
Catholic Priests Association for Justice Catholic Priests' Association for Justice (CPAJ; ko, 천주교정의구현전국사제단) is a South Korean association of Roman Catholic, Catholic priests, whose aim is to establish justice in Korea. History It was established on September 26, 1 ...
(CPAJ), revealed the truth to the public on May 18, further inflaming public sentiment. CPAJ planned a June 10 demonstration in his honor.


Death of Lee Han-yeol

As demonstrations intensified, students in
Yonsei University Yonsei University (; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. As a member of the " SKY" universities, Yonsei University is deemed one of the three most prestigious institutions in the country. It is particularly respected in th ...
swore to take the field and demonstrated at the university on June 9. During the protest, Yonsei student Lee Han-yeol was seriously injured when a tear gas grenade penetrated his skull. In critical condition, he quickly became a symbol of the subsequent protests over the weeks that followed. He finally died of his wounds on July 5, after the regime had agreed to the people's demands. Over 1.6 million citizens participated in hi
national funeral
held on July 9. He was buried at May 18th National Cemetery.


Main demonstrations

The 1980 constitution limited the president to a single seven-year term. Unlike his predecessors, Chun made no effort to amend the document in order to allow him to run again in 1987. However, while his rule was somewhat milder than that of Park, he resisted calls to further open up the regime. On June 10, Roh Tae-woo was nominated as a candidate for the presidency at a
Democratic Justice Party The Democratic Justice Party (; DJP) was the ruling party of South Korea from 1981 to 1988. History Chun had become the country's de facto leader after leading a military coup in December 1979, and was elected president in his own right in ...
convention at Jamsil Arena. Major demonstrations occurred throughout the country, with an estimated 240,000 people participating in 22 cities including Seoul. Many people of all social standings joined and supported participants. On June 18, the ''National rally for banishment of tear gas grenades'' (최루탄추방국민대회/催淚彈追放國民大會) brought 1.5 million people into the streets across at least 16 cities. Finally, the white collar workers who had before remained on the sidelines joined protests, throwing rolls of toilet paper, applauding and otherwise voicing their support. On June 19, Chun issued orders to mobilize the army, but fearing a reprise of the violent
Gwangju Massacre The Gwangju Uprising was a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, from May 18 to May 27, 1980, which pitted local, armed citizens against soldiers and police of the South Korean government. The event is sometimes called 5·18 (M ...
, he rescinded them within hours. On June 26, the ''Great National March of Peace'' (국민평화대행진/國民平和大行進) was held by Guk-bon (National Movement Headquarters for the Gain of Democratic Constitution - 민주헌법쟁취국민운동본부/民主憲法爭取國民運動本部); over 1 million people in 34 cities participated and 3,467 people were detained. Eventually, Roh Tae-woo issued the
June 29 Declaration The June 29 Declaration (), officially titled the Special Declaration for Grand National Harmony and Progress Towards a Great Nation (), was a speech by Roh Tae-woo, presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Justice Party of South Korea, on ...
, capitulating to the demands of the protesters by promising to amend the Constitution and to release
Kim Dae-jung Kim Dae-jung (; ; 6 January 192418 August 2009), was a South Korean politician and activist who served as the eighth president of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. He was a 2000 Nobel Peace Prize recipient for his work for democracy and human ...
.


Aftermath


1987 Great Labor Action

Following the June Democratic Uprising, Hyundai Engine Trade Union was established in
Ulsan Ulsan (), officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City is South Korea's seventh-largest metropolitan city and the eighth-largest city overall, with a population of over 1.1 million inhabitants. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring ...
on July 5. Many workers across the country started to establish labor unions and take actions to demand better conditions such as strikes and
walkout In labor disputes, a walkout is a labor strike, the act of employees collectively leaving the workplace and withholding labor as an act of protest. A walkout can also mean the act of leaving a place of work, school, a meeting, a company, or an ...
s. Within the space of a year, 4,000 new unions representing some 700,000 workers were established, and union membership would increase from 1.06 million in 1986 to 1.98 million in 1990.
Daewoo Daewoo ( ; Hangul: , Hanja: , ; literally "great universe" and a portmanteau of "dae" meaning great, and the given name of founder and chairman Kim Woo-choong) also known as the Daewoo Group, was a major South Korean chaebol (type of conglomerat ...
worker Lee Suk-kyu was killed after being hit by a tear gas canister on August 22, and Hyundai workers occupied Ulsan City Hall on September 2. On 29 September, the government announced it would take steps to make workers "
middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...
". A total of 3,492 labor disputes were recorded by the government between June 29 and September 15, with an average of 44 industrial actions being undertaken per day in this period.


The 9th amendment of Constitution

After the 6.29 Declaration, amendment of the Constitution finally began in earnest. On October 12 the constitutional bill was passed, and on October 28 it was approved. It officially took effect on February 25, 1988, when Roh Tae-woo was inaugurated as president. The 10th Constitution strengthened civil rights. Natural and legal rights were explicitly specified, direct presidential elections were implemented, and the power of the president was reduced in favor of the power of National Assembly of Korea.


The first democratic election in South Korea

Roh retained his June 10 nomination as a candidate for the presidency of Democratic Justice Party, and he remained Chun's chosen successor. Roh had enough legitimate support within the Korean electorate to compete in the elections in December 1987. His position was greatly improved by the divisions within the opposition, as Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam were unable to unite, or even back a two-tier voting system that would create a runoff. Two weeks before the presidential election,
Korean Air Flight 858 Korean Air Flight 858 was a scheduled international passenger flight between Baghdad, Iraq, and Seoul, South Korea. On 29 November 1987, the aircraft flying that route exploded in mid-air upon the detonation of a bomb planted inside an overhead ...
exploded when it was flying to
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
. The revelation of the North Korean conspiracy against the plane, and the arrival in Seoul of Kim Hyon Hui, one of the agents responsible for the attack, the day before the election created a profitable environment for Roh Tae-woo. The election finally took place on December 16. In the end Roh Tae-woo was the winner, receiving 36.6% of the vote on turnout of 89.2%. The opposition vote was split in two, with Kim Young-sam receiving 28% and Kim Dae-jung 27% of the vote. This election marked the beginning of the Sixth Republic.


In popular culture

The 2014 videogame '' Wargame: Red Dragon'' features an alternative history campaign based on the June Struggle. In this campaign, the player must defend against North Korean forces, which have taken advantage of the destabilized South to invade. The 2017 film '' 1987: When the Day Comes'', directed by
Jang Joon-hwan Jang Joon-hwan (born January 18, 1970) is a South Korean film director. Life and career A graduate of Sungkyunkwan University, Jang's first directing job was on the 1994 short film ''2001 Imagine''. His feature-length debut was the science fict ...
, depicts how the death of student activist Park Jong-chol sparked nationwide pro-democracy protests that changed the course of Korean history in June 1987.


See also

* Bu-Ma Democratic Protests *
History of South Korea The history of South Korea formally begins with the Japanese surrender on 2 September 1945. Noting that, South Korea and North Korea are entirely different countries, despite still being the same people and on the same peninsula. Backgrou ...
*
Fifth Republic of South Korea The fifth Republic of South Korea was the government of South Korea from March 1981 to December 1987. The fifth republic was established in March 1981 by Chun Doo-hwan, a military colleague of long-time president and dictator Park Chung-hee, aft ...
* Sixth Republic of South Korea *
Gwangju Uprising The Gwangju Uprising was a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, from May 18 to May 27, 1980, which pitted local, armed citizens against soldiers and police of the South Korean government. The event is sometimes called 5·18 (M ...
*
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 The Tiananmen Square protests, known in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident (), were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing during 1989. In what is known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, or in Chinese the June Fourth ...
* Seoul Spring


References

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External links


Photographs of July 9, 1987 funeral procession for Yi Han-yeol, Seoul
Fifth Republic of Korea Protests in South Korea History of South Korea Political history of South Korea 20th-century revolutions 1987 protests 1987 in South Korea South Korean democracy movements Civil disobedience